Mold making machine



Aug. 27,"1935. E. F. OYSTER ET AL 2,012,478

MOLD MAKING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR5 (S'arZu? @07 6," M4 By @aifl/ T zip/Kerr @WMxFQ ATTORNE 9 Aug. 27, 1935. E; F.OYSTER El AL MOLD MAKING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOIL? x I Z Z .0 MT MM r w ATTORNE J,

Aug. 27, 1935. E. F. OYSTER ET AL MOLD MAKING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1952i 4 Sheets-Sheet s [NI EDITOR' 60/7 :7, Oywz er Inn y Way/[ f .77Jfl/Zt/Mdk Patented Aug. 27, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOLDMAKING MACH! Application May 23, 1932, Serial No. 612,946

7 Claims.

This invention relates to mold making machines and has for its purposethe provision of a machine which is semi-automatic in operation andparticularly adapted for mechanical handling of large molds of a sizebeyond the manual ill capacity of one man.

lhe utility of this invention is not limited to molds for making stoveplates, or other large shallow castings, but it is more particularlyadapted for these than for deeper castings. The machine is, however,especially adapted for making molds of the sort in which both the copeand drag patterns are carried by a single match plate, and one purposeof the invention, in more detail, is to enable both cope and draghalf-molds to be made at a single station on a single machine andeliminates the lifting of molds by the operator. It is, therefore,particularly adapted for making molds of such a size that ordinarily thecope mold and drag mold would have to be made on separate machines withsplit patterns. Another purpose of the invention is to enable the moldto be closed mechanically. Still another purpose of the invention is toprovide means for automatically forming a pouring gate in the cope moldsimultaneously with the squeeze of the cope mold. A further purpose ofthe invention is to provide means for the automatic mechanical handlingof the pattern. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends,said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully describedand particularly pointed out in, the claims.

The annexed drawings and thei'ollowing description set forth in detailcertain means and one mode of carrying out the invention, suclrdisclosedmeans and mode illustrating, however, but one of various ways in whichthe principle of the invention may be used.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machineembodying the principles of our invention; Fig. 2 is an end view inperspective of a flask assembly; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the rightside of the machine; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the machine on two planesindicated by the line l--fl of Fig. 1, omitting the roll-over mechanism;Fig. 5 is a central vertical section of the table portion and base ofour machine taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrows; Fig. 6 is a detail in vertical section through a portion ofa' cope mold show- .ing a pouring basin and gate: Figs. 7 to '20inclusive are diagrammatic views, partly in frontelevation and partly invertical section, showing the cycle of operations of the machine.

The general assembly and operation of the machine are best understood byreference to Figs. 1 and 3. In its preferred embodiment this machinecomprises a jolt and squeeze cylinder I of conventional type carrying atable 2 which differs from the usual type in certain particularshereafter described. Supported by standards 3 behind either end of thetable is a squeeze head i movable on a trackway 5 into and out ofeffective position in substantially the manner de- 10 scribed in PatentNo. 1,804,181 issued November 5, 1931, to Earl F. Oyster. This squeezehead also supports means 6 for engaging and holding a flask element. Thestandards also support another rearwardly extending trackway l at alower level. 15 A carrier 8 is movable thereon whereby a pattern plate9, also known as a match plate, can be moved forward over the table 2into a position between and vertically aligned with the flask elementsl8 and i5, as shown in Figs. 3 and 9. This 0 carrier 8 is also used toreceive the pattern plate 9 when the mold is drawn and to move the plateback out of the way of succeeding operations. A further feature of themachine is a pair of vertical roll-over standards ll, upwardly movableby 25 compressed air independently of the table 2, one at either end ofthe table, each of which carries at its top an open-topped bearing iiito engage half trunnions l9 and 20 on the drag and cope moldsrespectively whereby the flask assembly 30 may be rolled over. The liftof these bearings 58 is equalized by a rigid yoke consisting of two arms2| pivoted at their free ends to the bearings it as at 2 I rigidlysecured to a horizontal connecting rod M which in turn is pivotallysupported 5 in rear of the table by links 2i", all substantially asshown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6 of U. S. Patent No. 1,851,321, Moldingmachines, issued to Earl F. Oyster on March 29, 1932. v

The table 2 is in the line of a roller conveyor 40 system 22 wherebytheflasks can be rolled onto the table for making the molds and rolled offthe table with the completed molds therein. The roller conveyor systemcooperates with the table by means of a vertically movable framecomprising front and rear plates 23 each of which supports a series ofoutwardly flanged wheels 2a which are spaced apart axially in alignmentwith the front and rear ends respectively of the rollers of the conveyorsystem 22. The top of the table 2 is cut away as at 25 to let the wheels24 be moved up above the plane of the table top so that the wheel treadsurfaces are on the horizontal level of the conveyor rollers. A handlever 26 and a system of links 21, doubled on the rear of the machine,raises and lowers the frame 23, the lowered position being shown in Fig.1.

The squeeze and jolt mechanism per se may be of any usual form and whilea preferred form of such mechanism is shown in Fig. 5 it will beunderstood that the details of this are not peculiar to nor essential tothis invention, some of them being covered by other patents, and othersbeing in accordance with the usual practice in the art. In Fig. 5 thesqueeze cylinder is shown as containing a jolt cylinder 30, and arearward projection 3i of'the table 2 carries a valve rod 32 governingthe squeeze movements. A valve 33, Fig. 1, controls the squeeze and drawoperations.

Coming now to the pattern plate carrier 8, as best shown in Figs. 3 and4, this comprises a pair of arms 40 and 4! the length of which is abouttwice the width of the pattern plate 9. These arms are connected at theback by a cross member 42 and are supported at their rear ends byvertical wheels such as 43 and 44 running on the top and bottom,respectively, of the rails l. Horizontal wheels such as 45 also bearagainst the sides of the rails I. Theserails I extend rearwardly to adistance such that the front end of the arms 40 and ti! can be drawnback entirely clear of the space above the table 2. The front and rearmovement of the pattern plate carrier 8 is here shown as accomplished byan air cylinder 46, connected to the rear of the carriage by a pistonrod 4?. The valve 48, Fig. 1, actuates this air cylinder. The arms 40and 4! include inwardly directed reenforced lugs such as 60 to supportears 5! on the corners of the match plate 9. There is also a middle ear5| on each end of the plate 9, perforated to take a guide pin til whenthe flask and plate are assembled. These lugs carry upstanding studs 52with suitable height adjusting means, such as nuts 53, to engagecorresponding apertures in the ears 5! of the plate 2, as shown in Figs.1 and 3.

The squeeze head 6 runs on a similar carriage on the horizontal track 6at the top of the uprights 3 so that it can be moved forward intooperative position or backward out of the way. The details of thesqueeze head carriage are not in themselves a part of the invention andreference is made to Patent No. 1,804,181 for a detailed description ofa suitable type of carriage for the purpose, such as used on the presentmachine. The squeeze head is moved manually by a handle 54, althoughpower means could of course be employed. A pressure board 55, Fig. 1, isfitted to the bottom of the head, and a suit able number of bosses 56,one in the present instance, according to the size of the casting, areformed on the under side of this'pressure board. A central vertical hole51 through the boss is carried up through the board 55'to receive avertical rod 58 which protrudes from the cope'pattern 9 An air hose isconnected at 56 to the top of the hole 51. The purpose of the elements56 to 69 inclusive is to make the pouring basin 56 and sprue 58 whichlead to the cavity .9 in the cope mold IS Fig. 6. This operation isdescribed further on. I

Inturned hooks 6 depend from each corner of the head 4 each carrying anupwardly directed adjustable stud 60. These studs, when the hooks are inthe vertical position of Fig. 1 which they naturally take under theinfluence of gravity and a spring 66, engage under lugs 62 on the flangeof the cope flask l5, thereby supporting it as in' Fig. 9. Each of thestuds 60 fits into a corresponding hole in the flask flange. When theflask is slightly raised oi! these studs and consequently I 9, l0 and11. Suitable adjusting means for the hooks, both common and individual,are provided. The inner lower hook surfaces are inclined as at 65, sothat when the mold is raised its flange will push the hooks out of theway. The hooks are then returned to supporting position by gravity andthe spring 66.

The flask, Fig. 2, includes a few special features to enable it to beused with this machine, namely, the trunnions l9 and 20, the lugs 62-and 63, the pins 6! and 68 and the keys 69 and Ill. The trunnions aresegmental, each consisting of somewhat less than half a cylinder, theflat faces being in the plane of the top of the drag flask and of thebottom of the cope flask, respectively. The amount by which eachtrunnion is short of a complete half cylinder is half the thickness ofthe pattern plate 9. The result of this is that when the pattern plate 9is in position between the halves of the flask, as in Figs. 2, 1i. and1%, the arcs of the two opposed trunnion segments have a common center,so that the effect of the two trunnion halves when so assembled is thatof a full cylinder from which there has been removed a horizontallongitudinal portion equal to the thickness of the pattern plate. Thuseach trunnion rolls in its bearing as a true cylinder without jar. Thetwo halves of the flask can be locked together, either with or withoutthe pattern plate, by the pin 6? and key 69., The outer ears 62 of thecope flange are apertured to receive the studs 60 on the hooks 6, andthe middle ear aperture positions the eerie flask i6 on the studs 6% ofthe table 2 when the flask is inverted, as in Figs. 12 and 13. The holein the car 62 of the bottom flange of the drag flask it guides the flaskon the studs 66 and also receives the pin 59' of the bottom board 19.

The bottom board I0 carries a pin 65' at each end in a boss 12 which ishollow beneath to flt over the corresponding stud 6d of the table 2 inthe position of Fig. 15, for example. The bottom board is outwardlyflanged at 53, as also shown in Fig. 15. In order to insure a correctfit of the board when the mold is squeezed, Fig. 16, low teeth M risefrom the flange i3. These teeth, instead of the entire top face of theflange i3 bear up against the bottom flange of the cope flask. Thus sandon the flange l3 does not interfere with the fit-of the bottom board.

The sequence of steps in the normal operation of the machine will now bedescribed, reference being had'particularly to Figs. 7 to 20 inclusive.

It is assumed that the machine has just completed making a mold and thatthe completed mold has been pushed off at the operator's left on theconveyor trackway. An empty mold stands on the conveyor trackway at theoperator's right. The pattern carrier 8 is in its back position and theflanged wheels 24 are up with their tops in the plane of the tops of theconveyor rollers. Preferably sand is supplied from an overhead hopper80, Fig. 3.

The operator now rolls the empty flask from his right to a position overthe table 2, and lowers the wheels 24, allowing the flask to rest on thetable, Fig. 7, positioned by engagement of the studs 64 with the holesin the ears 63. He next, Fig. 8, raises the table until the corner ears62 of the cope flask l5 catch under the hooks 6, the

hooks having been automatically moved out by their inclined surfaces 65as the flask went up and having dropped back so that the studs 60registered with the holes in the ears. The table 2 is then lowered tothe position of Fig. 9 and the cope flask remains suspended by the hookswhile the drag flask goes down with the table to bottom position. Thepattern carrier 8 is then brought forward, with the pattern plate 9thereon, thus positioning the pattern plate in correct verticalalignment with the two halves of the flask, Fig. 9. To assemble the dragand cope with the pattern plate between them the table is again raised,Fig.

10, lifting the cope cars off the hooks. The assembly is locked togetherby the pins 61 and keys 69. The operator pulls the hand lever 6! movingthe. four Looks 6 out of the way, and the table is lowered. Meanwhilethe bearings I 8 have been raised by the rods I'I, so that the trunnionsare caught in the bearings l8, Fig. 11. The flask is next inverted andthen lowered onto the table 2 in inverted position, the drag flask H isfllled with sand. jolt rammed and struck off all as indicateddiagrammatically in Fig. 12. The bottom board is placed, Fig. 13, pinnedandkeyed. The flask is then raised on the roll-over bearings, see Fig.14, rolled over to bring the cope uppermost, lowered onto the table 2,and the cope flask is filled and jolted, Fig. 15. The head 4 is runforward and the flask raised and squeezed, Fig. 16, which also forces upthe bottom board 10, as usual.

The pattern is then drawn by lowering the table, leaving the copesuspended on the hooks 6, the keys 59 having been pulled. On the drawthe pattern plate 9 is caught by the arms 40, 4| and the drag l4 goesdown with the table 2, Fig. 17. The pat tern plate carrier 8 is backedout of the way, Fig. 18. cores, if used, are set, the table is raised,Fig. 19, bringing the two halves of the mold together, and the assembledmold is lowered, Fig. 20, onto the wheels 24, which have meanwhile beenraised, and is rolled to the left on the conveyor system 22.

The operation of the gate forming apparatus is as follows. The upper endof the rod 58 must be a little shorter than the height of the cope, toclear when inverted. Fig. 12. Consequently something must be done toopen the top of the sprue 58 It is also necessary to form a pouringbasin in the top of the cope. If these operations were to be donemanually it would be necessary to lower the cope flask from the positionof Fig. 16, because in'that position the cope is too high for a workmanon the floor to reach the top, even if the squeeze head 2 was out of theway, which it is not. This trouble and loss of time is avoided, and thebasin is formed and the gateput through, all automatically, by the boss56'receiving the upper end of the rod 58 and at the same time displacingthe mold sand to form the basin 56, Fig.

6. When the mechanism is moved to the position of Fig. 17, any loosesand in the channel 58 and on top of the rod 58 falls down onto thepattern plate and so is left out of the mold. In order to dislodge allloose or partly loosened sand, which might fall inside the mold when thelatter is closed, a jet of air is blown from the hose 59 through thepassage 5! and channel 58 after the cope has been drawn, without takingtime for an extra operation, and while the pattern plate 9 is stillbeneath the cope to catch falling sand. It is evident from the foregoingthat we hav devised a molding machine, which, while not strictlyautomatic, may beter'med semi-automatic inasmuch as it relieves theoperator of all lifting, except the bottom board and that if patternsare to be changed he has to lift the pattern plates. For the entire setof operations of molding so long as the same pattern is being used, hehas no lifting whatever to do. The drawing and closing are entirelymechanical. At the same time the machine is of simple character. It doesnot involve any elaborate mechanism for rolling over and it uses onlyone jolt table for cope and drag. It is formed to cooperate fully with aroller conveyor system without needing any extra space and only a smallamount of very simple additional mechanism, namely the wheels 24 andtheir movable supports.

Other modes of applying the principles or our invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mech-.anism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of thefollowing claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as ourinvention:

1. In a molding machine adapted to form a two-part mold through allstages on a single machine, the combination of a. squeeze head, a joltsqueeze table, and a pattern plate carrier, elements on said squeezehead and on said table adapted to hold and align one or more detachableflask elements; flask elements adapted for engagement with said tableand/or said squeeze head; said flask elements comprising in detail acope section, a drag section and a bottom board, said cope and dragbeingadapted selectively to hold a pattern plate between them and free of anyother support; means on said flask elements for engagement with saidholding and aligning elements, said means consisting of parts rigid andimmovable upon said flask elements; said squeeze head and said tablebeing thereby fitted to hold somcor all-of the various flask elementseither assembled, or separated and vertically aligned; and said patternplate carrier being adapted to support a pattern plate between theseparated cope and drag flask elements.

2. In a molding machine adapted to form completely a two-part mold, thecombination which comprises means for supporting and acting upon a flaskassembly either assembled or in separated elements, and a flask assemblyformed for coaction with said first means and comprising. a cope flask,a drag flask, a bottom board, and at times a pattern plate; said firstmeans including a joltsqueeze table, a pattern plate carriage adapted tomove said pattern plate into and out of the path of said table, andflask element suspension means attached to said squeeze head;positioning elements on said table, positioning elements on saidcarriage, and positioning elements on said suspension means, all of saidpositioning elements being adapted to align the several flask assemblyelements when separated; the individual flask elements each includingmembers for engaging some or all of the, above recited positioningelements and members for supporting said pattern plate between cope anddrag independently of all other supports, said engaging members beingrigid with respect to their respective flask elements, the engagingmeans on the 7 ment forms part of the circumference of an ining means,one of said flask supporting means comprising trunnion cradles adaptedselectively to support said flask above vsaid squeeze table,

said flask comprising cope and drag sections,

and a substantially semi-cylindrical horizontal trunnion element at eachend of each section,v

corresponding ones of said trunnion elements being adapted, when theirrespective flask elements are fitted together on opposite sides of apattern plate, to form a cylinder, fitting one of said trunnion cradles.

4. In a molding machine in combination, a joltsqueeze table, a squeezehead thereabove movable into and out of alignment therewith, a patternplate holder thereabove movable into and outof alignment therewith, saidholder being open across the front; sand-confining elements comprising acope, a pattern plate, a drag, and a bottom board detachable from butcooperable with other elements of the machine; means on said table forpositioning either said drag or said cope, means on said pattern plateholder for positioning said pattern plate, means on said squeeze headfor holding said cope; interengaging means on said cope, said drag andsaid pattern plate for fastening cope and drag together either with orwithout the pattern plate therebetween; roll support by said table, saidpattern plate when.

in assembly being supported by and between said cope and dragindependently of all other supports, and a pair of standards clear ofsaid table and adapted to engage said trunnions and adapted to be raisedand lowered independently of said table.

5. In a molding machine, the combination of relatively movable pressingdevices, and a parting and pattern plate, means whereby the patternplate may be supported by the flask mem bers, means whereby it may beindependently supported and moved horizontally away from or between saidflask members when the latter are separated, said means being alsomovable away from the flask members when said flask members aretogether, and means whereby the sand in the flask members may be jolted.

6. An automatic mold making machine comprising in combination aplurality of sets of flask holding means, one of said sets being adaptedto engage end trunnions on a flask when said flask is assembled with amatch plate therein, and to support said flask assembly by the lowermostmember of said assembly, with the pattern plate and the other member ofthe assembly resting on said lowermost member.

7. A molding machine comprising in combination, flask members separablefrom one another and from the machine, slightly less than of a trunnionon each end of each flask element,

said part trunnions forming a broken circle when said match plate isengaged between the flask,

members,.a match plate, means for moving said match plate into and outof alignment with said flask elements, said means comprising a carrierwhich in all positions clears the flask elements, a jolt squeeze tableand a squeeze head adapted to cooperate with said flask elements, andindependent flask lifting elements including a half round open-toppedseat positioned and dimensioned to pick up or leave said trunnions.

EARL F. OYSTER. FRANK T. SPIKERMAN.

